Requesting a Software Installation
Much of the work that happens on the HPCC requires some sort of software. The HPCC maintains a large library of software to support our users. To see whether the software you need is already available, please see our documentation for Searching software modules.
Installing software on your own
If the software you need is not present, we encourage users to first install software on their own, if possible. Not only does this help reduce the maintenance necessary to make the system-wide library available, but it also allows you as the user to have better control over the software you need for your specific tasks.
The HPCC provides numerous compilers and libraries along with documentation (e.g., our overview of compilers and libraries and our EasyBuild tutorial) which should accommodate the installation of a wide variety of software across different fields. Software may additionally be available precompiled through Conda. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have when installing software that you can send using our contact form.
Requesting a system-wide installation
There are times when it may be preferable to add a piece of software to our system-wide library. You can submit requests using our contact form with the subject line "Software Installation". At minimum, include a link to the software and its documentation.
To have the best chance of your request being accepted, please consider the following factors and provide supporting information:
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How popular is the software? If it is not broadly used software, are there other users on HPCC who would also be using it? If you are the only one using it, we would recommend it be installed in your home directory.
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What type of license agreement does the software have? Some software licenses may restrict use even when they are free. Examples include software with export controls, specific end-user license agreements, etc. When software licenses restrict use, we typically recommend the user directly make an agreement with the software provider to obtain and install it in their home directory. If it will be used by a group of people, it can be installed in a research space or the HPCC system administrators can help with setting up group access in compliance with the license agreement.
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Is the software well maintained and up-to-date? If the software you wish to install is legacy software or is not being well maintained, chances are its installation will require an older version of its dependencies as well. The effort to install this software may then be greater than the effort required to find an up-to-date software with the same, similar, or even better functionality. It may be time to consider transitioning to using a newer software.
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Is the software available through EasyBuild with an ICER supported toolchain? ICER uses a tool called EasyBuild to install software that is provided via "recipe" files or EasyConfigs. See the entire list of available EasyConfigs. Note that software is installed with a "toolchain" (see our EasyBuild tutorial for more information). ICER only officially supports software installed under the following toolchains or subtoolchains (including
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